Summary

Description

The bell can grow up to 30 cm in diameter. Hollow marginal tentacles arise from the underneath the bell. These are arranged in eight horseshoe or rectangular shaped groups each with 40-60 tentacles. Beneath the bell is a short thick manubrium merging onto four wide membranous and folded curtain like oral lips. The oral lips may be yellowish and fade to white at their extremities. It has thick and frilly oral arms that are slightly shorter than the diameter of the bell. The sense organs in the bell are protected by a long exumbrellar extension which forms a hood. Its colour varies from translucent through pale yellow, pale brown, pale grey to light blue or purple. In faintly coloured species the blue tends to outline the pattern of the internal sculpting of the bell (Russell, 1970). It has four interradial folded gonads that hang freely downwards beneath the bell surface.

Recorded distribution in Britain and Ireland

Cyanea lamarckii occurs in coastal waters all around the British Isles. It has been recorded from the Shetland Islands, the Orkneys, along the east coast of England, Dartmouth in the south and up through the west coasts of England and Wales.

Global distribution

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Habitat

Cyanea lamarckii is a pelagic species.

Depth range

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Identifying features

Umbrella or saucer shaped.

Uniformly fairly thick jelly, that thins suddenly at the bell margin.

Clusters of stinging cells (nematocysts) are prominent on the upper surface of the bell.

The margin of the bell has eight groups of 40-60 tentacles.

Additional information

Cyanea lamarckii is similar to Cyanea capillata. However, Cyanea capillata is the larger of the two as it can grow up to 50 cm in diameter and is deep reddish brown in colour. It also has more tentacles with 70-150 tentacles in each of the eight groups of tentacles.

Very young specimens are colourless but they take on colour as they mature.

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